New Dawn
by CrazyCharlette-Real Reloaded
Summary: Artha Penn and Moordryd Payne have made it into the prestigious Academy. There, they must uncover their destinies and those of the ones around them and claim their fate. But where there's light, there's shadow...and this shadow may turn out to be the most dangerous thing that anybody could ever imagine. Even for the five Boosters of Legend...


**Hey all! It's me again, with Dragon Booster this time! I used to be obsessed with it a few years ago, and it's resurfaced!**

**Nerd Corps owns Dragon Booster and I own any unfamiliar characters.**

* * *

Attaching an Orange Implosion Gear onto Opalescence's head, Misstary Sinclaire stroked her dragon's snout before hoisting herself up into the saddle buckled and strapped around Opal's throat and neck. The fifteen-year old donned her black helmet before gently clapping the Grey Bone-Class dragoness's hindquarters, making her set off into a slow jog towards the starting block.

Misstary Guinevere Sinclaire was a charming and headstrong young woman, with silvery white hair reaching to the base of her spine, bright blue eyes that peered out from a grey visor, an athletic figure gained from constant battle training, a firm hand in racing and a razor-sharp tongue. More often than not, her tongue got her into trouble.

She lived in Claw City, the second-largest metropolis after Dragon City itself. Her home was a small but cosy little apartment situated on the tenth floor of Block B in the Crystal Condominiums, which lived up to its name. Opal lived at a friend's ranch, and Misstary came to visit every two days. She worked as a jeweler at the prestigious Diamond Emporium, and in her spare time, helped her friend at the ranch or race at one of the many tracks dotted around the city. Today was one such day.

Dressed in her usual racing outfit - a grey shock-proof and mag-conducting jacket over a black top, white pants, black boots, black helmet and of course, her bone charm - and with an additional touch: a black obsidian armlet with an odd groove imprinted on it, she checked that all of the gear was functioning properly and glanced at her armlet. Misstary liked odd things, and the groove only added to the mystery.

As she rode out onto the starting block and to her assigned place, which was in the last lane, Opal drew level with Rench and his Red Magma-Class dragon, Rager. They both gave her a friendly smile and their gazes returned to the track.

Claw City was known for its grueling and hi-speed tracks, some being even harder than the most extreme ones at Dragon City. The track here was built for speed and power, essentially. In Claw City, each track had a name that indicated what the track was compromised mainly of, and this track was the Torpedo Track. It symbolised the rocket speed of the projectile and the power that it packed, so it was perfect for the track. Normally, not many people would be here. But Misstary noticed that an awful amount of people were here today, and her gaze drifted up to the VIP booth. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw three unmistakable figures:

Artha Penn, Moordryd Payne and Academy scout Sentrus.

_No wonder that the stadium is jam-packed,_ she mused. _But what would they be doing here?_

"People of Claw City!" the race marshall's voice boomed out. "It is my great pleasure to introduce you to one of Claw City's famous races at the Millenium Arena! Today's track is the infamous Torpedo Track, notorious for the extreme curves and the unpredictable obstacles! As you may have noticed, we have three extremely important VIPs here, known as Artha Penn, Moordryd Payne and Sentrus!"

The crowd looked up towards the VIP booth and everyone cheered, although some cheered half-heartedly at the sight of Moordryd.

"Racers, you have not been informed that this is a competition!" the marshall said, drawing panicked gasps and cries of confusion. "Sentrus has requested that it be kept secret, in order to maximise the cleanliness of the race and encourage last-minute thinking! Those are the qualities that the Academy is looking for, and while we're on the topic of the Academy, the winner of this race will be able to attend!"

The racers broke out into murmurs and boasts, and the marshall remained quiet for a few seconds before speaking. "Claw City has produced some of the most finest racers of all time, so only the cream of the crop will make it! Now, I announce our racers:  
"In the first lane: Diamonde LaMocho and her graceful White Draconium Sky-class dragon, Cloude!  
"In the second lane, we have Liam Murdo and his speedy Light Blue Draconium Nautilus-class Spout!  
"The third lane is occupied by Shayyne Swive and that amazing Blue Draconium Energy-class dragoness of his, Star!  
"Fourth lane houses Rench McShieke and that arrow of a Red Draconium Magma-class dragon, Rager!  
"And last but not least, Claw City's very own Misstary Sinclaire, also known as the 'Nutcracker', and her amazing Grey Draconium Bone-class dragoness, Opalescence, or known simply as Opal!"

Here, the crowd's cheers escalated to the point where even a Turquoise Sonic-class dragon would have to cover his ears. The amount of support for the rider and her bipedal dragon surprised Moordryd and Artha, making them recoil in shock.

"A Grey Draconium Bone-class dragon?" Artha echoed. "But I thought that Libris was the only one left!"

"I guess the mechanic was right," his companion muttered. "There are other Grey dragons out there."

"Watch her," Sentrus interrupted. "Based on the information I've gathered, Misstary and Opal seem like a formidable combination, and a perfect candidate for the Academy."

"On your marks..."

The racers and their dragons crouched down, getting ready.

"Get set..."

A few dragons raised their legs, ready to bolt.

"GO!"

The gong sounded, and all five dragons shot forwards. Rench and Rager edged out to the front, but Liam and Spout drew neck-and-neck with them. Three pairs of eyes fixed on Misstary and Opal followed her down the track, heading towards the first curve.

"Would you like to go out there and see for yourself?" Sentrus asked, indicating Beau and Decepshun, who were looking at the race in longing. Their heads whipped around to face their riders and their eyes spoke their pleas.

"I suppose that it wouldn't hurt," Artha mused. "Alright, I'm in!"

"Fine, but don't be surprised if I join the race," Moordryd warned.

"Oh, I think that's exactly what the people want to see," the woman smiled.

* * *

Activating Opal's White Aero Gear and jumping over the gap, Misstary guided her dragon through the thermals and landed safely on the other side. Opal's legs powered forwards, the blunt but sharp claws gripping the asphalt surface and steadying traction. Her tail streamed out behind, and when she sensed a presence behind her, raised her tail and like a whip, cracked it, the bone tip connecting with flesh. Diamonde and Cloude let out squeals and stumbled, landing in a heap.

"Nice, Opal," Misstary praised. A quick glance over her shoulder told her that a few of the others were catching up. In her peripheral vision, she saw Star mag Shayyne up into the air and his blocking staff materialized in his hands. Then Liam was magged up into the air by Spout. Opal instinctively magged her rider into the air as well, while continuing to run ahead.

Tugging her bone charm loose, Misstary gave three quick flicks with the thread and it lengthened considerably, crackling with grey draconium. The bone moulded itself to the shape of her hand. Misstary cracked her whip several times before severing Shayyne's staff. Flicking her wrist, Liam's energy-axe fell to the ground moments later, useless.

A sudden blast of mag energy threw Opal off-balance, and she yelped, stumbling. Her mag stream broke, and Misstary fell, but not before seeing Moordryd and Artha on their dragons. Beau's mag stream caught her and placed her in her saddle.

The appearance of Artha and Moordryd created an uproar of frenzied excitement. The two quickly made swift work of Shayyne and Liam, before focusing on the track ahead. Opal growled at Beau who's snout was unfortunately too close to her hindquarters and smacked him away with her tail, earning a yelp from the dragon. Artha sniggered before earning a teeth-rattling shake from his dragon.

Decepshun eagerly looked at her master but he shook his head, making her pout slightly. Moordryd knew what his dragon wanted to do, but he was against it. It was tempting, but it would lower his reputation. Not that it was up sky-high, anyway.

Misstary flicked a switch, and Level Ten Red Thruster Gear on both sides of Opal's flank opened up, revealing the two red jets. Blue fire burst out of them, and the dragoness took off at top speed. Beau growled and Artha did the same thing too, making the Gold dragon speed up. His heavy paws hit the ground with such power, Artha had to stabilize himself and secure his footing. Decepshun then followed behind in pursuit, with her own Thruster Gear activated.

The three dragons were neck-and-neck, until Moordryd decided to use the White Rappel Gear on his dragoness's flank to latch onto Beau and mag the gear to one of the rings overhead, making him stop. Decepshun sensed what he was planning and she activated the Rappel Gear by herself, causing her rider to splutter in surprise.

"I-I never told you!" he indignantly said. Then he shrugged. "Ah well. So I suppose that you know what I exactly want to do then?"

_Yes, _she telepathically told him her blue eyes sparkling with delight. Moordryd almost fell out of the saddle, if it hadn't been for the buckles holding him in. _I suggest that you also plant a Red Fire Grenade on the pod, to make sure that the boys can't use it again._

Moordryd listened to her, and did as she advised. True, he didn't like being ordered around, but he trusted Decepshun. Pressing a button, the Rappel Pod opened up and the claw shot out, latching onto Beau's flank. Decepshun magged the pod off her and threw it towards one of the rings, before speeding up. The weight on her left flank had slowed her down. The Rappel Gear was much heavier than it looked.

Beau felt something grip his right flank and he turned his head to see a Rappeling claw attached to his body. His golden eyes then traced the wire to the pod, which was hooked up an iron bar a few dragonlengths behind.

_NOOOOOOOOO! _he dramatically cried out, alerting his rider.

"Huh?" Artha followed Beau's gaze to the pod, and he joined the cry of surprise. Moments later, Beau was yanked back with such velocity that he rocketed back down the track and only the pod's banterium reinforcement prevented the wire from snapping.

_Ow, _Beau complained, getting to his feet. _Those are in for it now!_

Before Artha could say anything, the Gold draconium dragon burst down the track, sparing Artha barely enough time to secure his grip and activate the Red Thrusters.

* * *

Decepshun whuffed with amusement, before returning her attention to Opal. She would have to avoid the tail, or she would get a nasty bruise. Apparently, Moordryd was thinking the same thing. He steered away from the tail and instead ran quite a distance away, still keeping up with his rival. He saw a sharp turn coming up ahead, and a pole perpendicular to the track.

"Mag inversion?" Moordryd asked her, since their Rappeling Gear was spent. She snorted and veered towards the inner edge railing. Channeling her energy through her rider, she neared the bend and Moordryd formed a ball of mag energy in his hands. Gritting his teeth and mustering all the power he could, he thrusted his hands outwards to the left and a stream of black mag flew out of his hands, hitting the asphalt. The intense force sent him and Decepshun flying over to the other side, and with his elbow, Moordryd activated her Aero Gear. He released the mag stream and held on tight as Decepshun glided over to the other side and landed, beginning to run again.

Misstary nodded in respect and flicked open a switch, opening Opal's Blue Speed Gear. The airfoils extended and Opal leapt onto the railing, delicately running across the smooth metal. Moments later, a Blue Turning Gear grapple hook fastened around the pole, and the dragoness cleanly turned, still balancing on the railing. Retracing the grappling hook and leaping off the railing, Misstary urged her dragon on.

A few yards behind, Beau thundered around the corner and Artha activated the Rappel Gear and Thrusters, latching onto the pole and swinging around. The claw unlatched and Beau hit the ground running.

For a while, all three contenders were evenly matched, each having no particular advantage over the other. The only obstacle there was the sharp twists and turns, as well as the ups and downs. Then the Cannon loomed up ahead, dwarfing them all.

The Cannon is a dangerous part of the racecourse. Much like the Leap of Lorius, one had to mag on the required gear conveniently situated there and perform a heart-stopping feat. If one wished to avoid it, there was a detour.

"And our three racers approach the halfway mark! Up ahead is one of the most feared obstacles of all time in the history of Claw City; The Cannon!" the race marshall declared. All the spectators gasped.

"The Cannon is said to be Claw City's version of the Leap of Lorius! When you approach the edge, your dragon has to use those legs of theirs to jump into the unknown! The Aero Gear you have on is useful here, and you activate it to glide over the thermals provided by the factories below! When you pass and land on land, a small pennant with a number is on top of a rickety bride that can only be crossed by foot! You must grab the pennant and head for a large facility, where you must place the pennant in a small crevice! The pennant will activate a fuse, and the racer must use the Level 10 Red Thrusters located with the Aero Gear to bolt as fast as you can to your designated pennant number cannon, and when you reach the cannon in time, you will be encased in a banterium-enforced glass capsule! The capsule will slide and lock into - well, what do you know! - the cannon itself, and OUT YOU GO BLASTING AWAY LIKE A BULLET! Your capsule will break open and if you thought that was hard, that was child's play! You've got to combine EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF GEAR you've got and maneuver around air mines and land on a slide! The sledding gear the racers will find at the Gear Stop will come in handy here! But this ain't any ordinary slide; you've got to use those eyes of yours to spot hidden mines and slide around them! Then you'll end up at the finish line! That is, if you can survive the jakk-projectors," the marshall finished with a dark tone.

Sentrus smiled. This was going to be amusing. Her thoughts were broken when her wristcomm beeped.

"Sentrus, I've detected high amounts of unknown draconium energy around the track and around the Cannon," Chute's voice rang out. "Twystyr and I are ready underneath."

"Keep an eye out," the scout said, rising from her chair. "I think it's time I revisited my past..."

* * *

"What the Magna Draconis is _THAT?!_" Moordryd yelped.

"The Cannon," Misstary grimly said. "Second to none in terms of death-defying feats."

"I handled the Leap of Lorius, didn't I?" Artha confidently smirked. "I can handle this!"

"The Leap was one thing," Misstary replied. "People made it. None made this."

"What happened to the ones that tried and failed?" Moordryd asked, trembling.

"Oh, the safety dragons caught them, but they never tried again. One even had to do therapy," she nonchalantly said.

"Then I guess that we'll have to break that record," Artha grinned, before running ahead.

"Does he ever listen?" Misstary asked Moordryd. He shook his head.

"Sadly, no."

* * *

"You fool," a dark voice menacing enough to make Armeggaddon nervous whispered. "You're too predictable, do you know that? You will never be able to make the course, and even if you did, I always have my silver dragons there."

The dull glow of computer screens fell upon a twisted and scarred face, wrought by ages of fighting. Little clicking sounds radiated from several screens as the view shifted from one to another. Out of the darkness, a clawed hand pressed a button and another flicked switches, the main screen moving to several small but fierce-looking dragons scattered around the track's finish line. They had the colouration of different dragons classes but their design and build was the same: a lean, muscled bipedal/quadrupedal body, sharp curved claws, glaring yellow eyes, a long and narrow snout, a slender tail, several bony protrusions from the hips and a silver crown on their chest. These dragons were classed as Silver Sterling-Class dragons, forgotten by the world and despised by all.

The sound of a door hissing and sliding open woke him from his reverie. "Luciferie, the silver dragons are in position and awaiting your word," a feminine voice reported.

"Excellent," Luciferie said, rubbing his hands together. "Gabriella, send our friend Armeggaddon a proposal for an alliance. Oh, and while you're at it, dispatch a squadron of Claws to Sector F12 and tell them to do whatever they want."

"As you wish," Gabriella said. The sound of a finger tapping away and small clicks echoed around the chamber, resonating with the beeps and whirring sounds of the computer. A pinging sound came from the doorway and Luciferie smiled.

"Long live the Silver Empire," he chanted.

"Long live the Silver Empire," Gabriella repeated, crossing her fingers and drawing a sign over her chest, shooting a glance towards the man. "Long live the Empire..."

* * *

"Scales!"

Artha grimaced as Beau's sledding gear was awkwardly magged on. The dragon was busy fighting off Decepshun's attacks to properly notice, so Artha had to lean over and mag it on. When he righted himself, he was met with a slap to the face by Moordryd's blocking staff. He yelped and crouched into the saddle, fumbling for his own staff. When his fingers closed around it, he lengthened it and Beau self-consciously magged his rider into the air, and continued to fight Decepshun.

Up ahead, The Cannon's entrance loomed into view. Misstary urged Opal on, and headed for the gear stop. There, racks of gear suited for The Cannon were sat there. Opal switched her Brown Entrenchment Gear for the Sledding Gear and exchanged her Level 5 Aero Gear for the Level 10 Aero Gear. Running on, she curved around the corner and skidded to a stop.

Ten very angry-looking, vicious-looking and strange-looking dragons stood there, with riders wearing a white face-obscuring outfit on their backs. The dragons were either a light silvery colour not unlike her hair or a deep silver that matched Opalesence's brightest parts, stark yellow eyes, broad, powerful jaws, sharply curved claws, long, thin tails and several small 'quills' on the back of their heads. What was stranger was a little silver crown emblazoned on their chests.

The other two males rounded the corner and they also hit the brakes hard. Beau's eyes scanned over the dragons and his hackles rose, a deep growl rising from deep within his chest. His bonemark illuminated for a fraction of a second and Beau's eyes narrowed to slits.

"What is it, boy?" Artha asked, leaning into the saddle. "You know them?"

Decepshun was having a similar situation. Her eyes flashed menacingly and her lips parted to reveal her fangs, and a loud hissing sound emanated from her throat. Her claws dug into the asphalt, and Moordryd saw the Vysox bonemark on her forehead glow for a second.

"Decepshun, what is it? Tell me!" he urgently said, drawing out his whip.

The Bone-class dragoness also displayed extreme hostility, flicking her tail to and fro. Opal's hand claws curled up and her feet claws grasped the asphalt, creating shallow gouges. A growl issued from her gullet and her sharp teeth made themselves known. Her bonemark also lit up for a moment, before fading.

"I don't know who you are or why you're here, but I suggest that you scram," Misstary threatened, reaching for her charm. "There are people watching this right now, as I speak!"

The leader of them chuckled. "The only thing they're watching is static. No-one can see us."

All three racers readied their weapons, and their dragons continued to growl at the other dragons. The stand-off lasted for what seemed like an eternity, and when a clink of a drakkal rebounding off the railing made the unknown look, they launched themselves forwards.

* * *

Back at the stadium, the screens were absolutely filled with static. The last thing they saw was Opal and Misstary skidding to a stop. The race was also being broadcast to the rest of the world, and naturally, the members of the Penn Racing crew were watching it.

"Parm, what's going on?" Lance Penn asked, worried.

"I don't think that it's technical issues," Kitt Wonn deducted. "Otherwise the channel's logo would be in the bottom left corner and the camera would turn to the stadium."

"Someone's tapped into the feed and short-circuited the visual feed," Parm Sean figured. "I could trace the signal and triangulate the source, but it would take about half an hour or so."

"Half an hour is too long!" Lance cried out. "What if something's happened to Artha? What if they've been kidnapped?"

Connor Penn crossed his arms and his brow furrowed in concentration. Finally, he spoke. "Claw City isn't that far away, but even the fastest hypertrain would take an hour to get there."

Suddenly, Parm let out a yelp. The others crowded around him. "I've managed to get one of the satellites and scan the area, and I'm detecting astronomical amounts of unidentified draconium energy and white draconium!"

"The white draconium would have to be Chute and Sentrus," Connor instantly explained. But then his face contorted in thought. "But I don't know what the unidentifiable energy is..."

"I never knew that Sentrus was White Draconium," Kitt mused. "Or that Chute would be there."

The trio continued to exchange opinions and information while Connor turned away, a dark thought creeping across his mind. "Unless...wait, no. The original Dragon Booster got rid of them in the war," he muttered to himself. He turned to Parm's energy scanner and his eyes narrowed when he read the signal. First shock flitted across his face, them realization and finally horror. "It can't be..."

"Can't be who, dad?" his son asked, running over to Fracshun and hugging him.

* * *

In his citadel, Word Payne's eyes closed to slits when he saw the energy readout. The white draconium was Sentrus and Chute, he knew that much, but the unknown energy puzzled him. It was some kind of draconium, that was certain, but not any that he was familiar with.

Growling, he paced the room. Word didn't like not knowing something, and that was one of the main reasons why he joined the Dragon Priests. Knowledge was power, as Zulay had told once him.

Then his chest automatically tightened. Zulay. Hearing his wife's name sent a ripple of sorrow and longing through him, even though he didn't want the feelings. He could see her serenely smiling at him, holding a young Moordryd in her arms. Her porcelain skin, sturdy jawline and fiery personality was passed onto him, as well as her gift of determination, even if he didn't know it. Decepshun was the offspring of Zulay's Nytshaed and his Abandonn together, before Abandonn was transformed from the Academy training. So essentially, they were all one big family.

Word's attention was caught as he saw a picture of him and Connor when they were with the Dragon Priests. Tannis was teaching them about the different kinds of draconium and their history.

_Flashback_

_In a cave with ancient Draconian runes inscribed on the walls, Word Payne and Connor Penn sat on the roughly hewn floor, listening intently as their teacher began his lesson. Tannis cleared his throat and brought up a map of all the draconium colours._

_"There are fourteen kinds of draconium. I know that you have been taught that there is thirteen, but the history of one kind of draconium has been erased and wiped from all records, and only the Priests have been able to keep it alive.  
"You know them: Gold, Black, Red, Blue, Green, Orange, Purple, Turquoise, Light Blue, Light Green, Brown, Grey and White. But there is another: Silver. The dragons in that category are known as Silver Sterling-Class dragons, these days notorious for their vanity and cowardice. These dragons have brilliant, shining scales that are highly valued and since their vanity prevents them from sharing their scales, they have been hunted down, but with little success. The Silver dragons were once noble and just, just like the Gold Star-Class dragons, but their beauty and admiration corrupted them, therefore turning them into cruel and twisted beings. The Mirrox, the Vain Warrior, and one of the dragons that fought viciously against the Dragon Booster, had his bonemark, a silver crown severed off as well, but he refused to give it up. So he shattered it into a thousand and one pieces and cast them to the wind."_

_Connor raised his hand. "But why were the Silver dragons scratched from the history books?"_

_"The Silver Draconium Empire played a key turning point in the war," Tannis replied. "They and they alone possessed the Mirror of Truth and Lies, an ancient relic that would either shine down upon those who spoke the truth or burn those that lied. But rather than assisting their fellow dragons against the humans, they kept it for themselves and watched on as the battle raged. Many times, the other dragons pleaded for their help since Silver dragons are the most cunning and deceitful dragons ever to have lived. But they turned the pleas away, saying that they didn't want to get their hides and claws dirty. This appalled the dragons so much, that they shunned them and the silver dragons had been never talked about again. There are rumors that a new empire has risen, but people treat it with ignorance."_

_Flashback end_

Silver draconium! That was it! Word leapt to the computer and his fingers rapidly flew over the keys, entering a scanner filter. The unidentifiable energy now pulsated with a silver radiance, signifying the silver draconium. Connor had to be told, as much as he disliked the notion.

* * *

Connor's videophone rang, and he strode over and pressed Receive. To his astonishment, Word's face popped up.

"Word! What are you-!" he exclaimed.

"Connor, listen," he urgently began. "You know that energy around the track? I've figured it out; it's-"

"Silver draconium, yes, I remembered," Connor interrupted. "But why it would be there, I do not know."

"We should go and investigate," Word suggested.

"But how? It takes an hour by hypertrain and two by dragon!"

"The Tunnels of Loan."

The Tunnels of Loan is a series of complex tunnels built into the ground, leading from Dragon City to other dwellings. Only those that have a map or are knowledgeable in the complex can make it out from one end to another.

"No-one's ever used those for years!" Connor said.

"Your point is?" Word snapped. "We have no other choice, unless you've got a better idea!"

He sighed. "Fine. Meet me there." He then shut off the screen and turned to face the trio, who were looking at him in puzzlement.

"Dad, what was that all about?" Lance asked.

"Word. We've recognized the energy and we've agreed to meet up," his father replied. "At the entrance to the Tunnels of Loan."

"WHAT?!" Kitt yelped. "Word Payne is meeting up with us?"

"Well, they do have a history together," Parm said. "And they've been trained by the Dragon Priests.'

She frowned. "I still don't understand. What's the energy you figured out, then?"

"Silver draconium," Connor replied. "An ancient energy that most people don't even know about these days."

"Of course!" Parm exclaimed. "No wonder the energy signature was similar to Gold draconium!"

"You do realize that we're totally in the dark?" Lance questioned.

Connor beckoned for them to mount their dragons. "Come. I'll explain on the way there."

* * *

Word decided against his Drakkus persona and summoned Cain. He stood to attention.

"Get yourself and Coershun ready and meet me at the Wastelands of Loan," Word snapped. "We're going on a trip."

"Yessir." Cain had learnt not to question the elder Payne's orders a long time ago, and rushed off to the stables.

Clicking a button, Abandonn rose up on his platform and magged his rider onto his back. The platform lowered and at the bottom of the abyss, a door opened up and Abandonn bounded out of the door. The door closed behind him and it sealed itself.

Abandonn thundered through the deserted streets, not caring if he knocked over stalls or poles. He had learnt from his master that the little things didn't matter if you were looking at something much bigger. The silver draconium, in this case.

An hour later, they arrived at the Wastelands of Loan. Making his way over to the entrance, Word saw Cain waiting there. All he needed now was for Connor and the others to come.

* * *

"And I thought girls were vain," Kitt muttered.

"Umm, Kitt? You _are _a girl," Lance cautiously said.

"I know!" she retorted.

Connor, who was _not_ in his priest robes and perched on top of Tyrannis Pax, scanned the area. All of a sudden, Tyrannis Pax let out a bellow and clawed at the air.

His rider grunted and stayed on, calming him. "Did you see him?" he murmured.

The dragon walked over to a platform of rocks and growled, causing the air to shimmer and waver. Seconds later, Abandonn, Word and Cain all appeared out of thin air.

"AAAAAAAAH!" Lance and Fracshun cried out, leaping backwards.

"AAAAAAGGGGGH!" Cain and Coershun both screamed, jumping behind Abandonn.

For a while, the sound of their screams hung in the air, before it faded away. Word disdainfully looked down at the three Penn Racing members before turning his attention to his former friend.

"You remember?" he sharply questioned.

Connor nodded. They guided their dragons to a bare patch of earth about as wide as Abandonn with two glyphs engraved in the ground next to it. Tyrannis Pax snorted and stepped on one glyph, lighting it up with gold/blue energy. Abandonn placed a massive foot on the other glyph and it shone with a deep purple hue. The patch of earth started to glow in both purple and gold, before a small dot in the middle expanded into a wheel of blazing colour. It shuddered and suddenly sank into the ground, opening up into a spiraling staircase that seemed to go on and on forever into the darkness.

"Drac!" Lance whispered, clearly in awe. "So drac!"

"I agree," Parm nodded.

"Me three," Kitt said, staring at the staircase.

"Wow," Cain muttered, rubbing his eyes. "That was pure, awesome, drac."

"Let's get going," Connor said. "We can't afford to lose time."

* * *

Artha grunted as the force of three fully grown adults slammed into him, holding them off using his blocking staff. Gathering his strength, he pushed them off and hit them with a mag pulse, incapacitating them. He then came face-to-snout with one of the mystery dragons and instinctively whapped it with his staff. Beau growled and swatted away some of the dragons and swacked another with his tail.

Moordryd flicked his whip and a dragoness fell, letting out pitiful mewls. Another charged, claws outstretched, but Decepshun flicked her tail and sent him flying. One of the riders still on his dragon flicked a switch, and a hidden pod on the sides of his dragon opened up. Two mirrors popped out and angled themselves, so that the sunlight reflected off them and hit Decepshun with burning beams of fiery heat. She let out a howl and crumpled to the floor, writhing in pain.

The bony tip of Opal's tail smacked into the enemy dragon's flank, causing it to fall over and damage the gear. Decepshun shot a grateful look towards her before getting up. Moordryd rushed over to her, and ran a hand over the burns.

"You alright, girl?" he murmured, eanring a nuzzle from her.

The fight continued to rage on, until a shrill roar from the buildings nearby caused all of them to look. A new group of the mystery dragons stood there, ready to leap into battle.

"Scales," Artha muttered to himself. "Just what we need. More things to knock over."

Moordryd shot him a questioning glance, and Artha nodded. He then let out a fake gasp and clutched his chest and doubled over, pretending to be injured. "My chest!"

"Artha, are you alright?!" Misstary shrieked, hopping off Opal and running over. Beau played along and worriedly snorted, hunching his shoulders. He gently flicked him with his tail, and earned another groan. "Say something!"

"Can't...breathe," he managed to wheeze. "Ribs...HURT!"

One of the dragons launched a mag blast and it hit him squarely in the chest, knocking him over. Another blast slammed into Beau, sending them both flying over the edge.

Moordryd and Decepshun bounded over the railing after him, and they plummeted down into the darkness. Catching up with them, Moordryd gave Artha a pained look.

"How dramatic can you be?" he asked. His companion laughed.

"Never hurts to act," he replied. Taking the amulet, his face transformed into a picture of seriousness and he cried out, "Release the Dragon!'

Slotting the star into the groove, his body blazed gold and the armour seemed to mould itself out of the light onto his body, perfectly forming around him. The helmet was last to form, and the black-tinted visor slid over his eyes, masking those electric blue marbles from the outside world. Beau's blue and red form flashed into his black and gold. Fins sprouted from his legs, tail and chin and he roared, the combined light piercing the darkness.

Moordryd took his amulet, placed it in the groove and chanted, "Unleash the Shadow!"

Wisps of dark energy flowed from the gauntlet and curled around his body, enveloping him in the Shadow Booster armour. His mask formed and the two red slits that now represented his eyes scanned the area around him. Decepshun's colouration darkened and her new form flitted in, sprouting spikes. Her baby blue eyes shifted to blood-red, and the Vysox bonemark on her forehead glowed.

Beau straightened out and his wings popped out, and he caught a particularly helpful thermal and soared upwards. Decepshun was eager to try out something that she had learnt, and assumed Beau's position. Straining her body, her eyes narrowed and all of a sudden, a pair of dark purple wings burst out from her sides and fanned out, catching the thermal and gliding upwards. Moordryd smiled at this and lay flat in the saddle, clutching the handles.

* * *

Opal growled and magged her rider onto her saddle, before going into a battle stance. Her upper body was now close to the ground and her rump was high in the air, her tail waving about like a string of thread in the wind.

"One last worm left to crush," the leader wickedly said. "This is all too easy."

The dragons grouped together and bowed their heads, silver energy starting to crackle and form. A high-pitched sound started to climb the octaves, growing more and more shrill. Opal let out a snuffing sound and backed away, her blue eyes darting to and fro, looking for a way out. She spotted a gap in the ranks and a nearby pole that could be used to get down to the lower levels, but nothing else.

The energy charges from the dragons morphed together to create a giant silver ball of mag energy, rotating with menace. Taking in a deep breath, they all grunted and shot their heads skywards, launching the mag ball high up in the air. It arced towards Misstary and Opal and for a moment, time seemed to slow down. They could both literally see their lives flash before them three times in a row before the gravity of what was going to happen finally slammed home.

"Scales," Misstary muttered.

But just before it hit, two streams of gold and black mag energy pierced it and shattered it into wisps of mag. Looking skywards, they saw the Dragon Booster and Shadow Booster glide into view, soaring down to the track and landing. Opal let out a sound that could pass for a cross between a sigh and a crow-drag being strangled to death.

The other riders scowled. "The Dragon Booster and the Shadow Booster. You two complicate things."

Artha smiled. "My pleasure."

"ATTACK!" one rider screamed. They all instantly charged, fingers hovering switches or ready to grasp sticks. The three riders grasped their own weapons and met the charging force with all the strength that they could muster.

* * *

Meanwhile, a few dragmiles away, an ancient cave finally saw visitors for the firs time in sixteen years as Abandonn and Word Payne appeared out of a hole in the ground. Or more specifically, a staircase hewn out of stone 5000 years old.

It was a wonder that Abandonn's weight did not crush the stone to dust. His heavy feet slammed onto the ground as he ascended the steps, rising out of the hole and into the cave. Humid air stuffed with dust and dirt choked his lungs, earning a great rasping cough from the dragon,

_Are you alright? _he head Tyrannis Pax's voice echo from down the tunnel.

_I'm fine, _Abandonn snapped back. _But the air here is rough. _

_Thanks for the heads up, _he heard Frachun's voice squeak. He decided against snapping back. He was a youngster, after all.

Soon, all of the dragons and their riders were out of the Tunnels of Loan. T. Pax and Connor were the last to come, and after making sure that nothing followed them, beckoned Abandonn and Word over to seal the tunnel. The staircase grumbled and the steps rose up to ground level, sealing itself with a faint brownish glow. The dust settled and hid any sign that there had been an ancient tunnel there moments before.

Parm flicked up a map and almost fell out of his saddle. "I'm detecting copious amounts of draconium energy where the fighting is going on! I've got Gold, Black, Grey, two Whites and twenty Silvers!"

"Care to specify?" Kitt asked.

"Dragon Booster, Shadow Booster, Misstary, Chute and Sentrus and the twenty Silvers are unknown," he elaborated. Then his face fell. "Oh dear..."

"What?" Lance and Cain both asked, glaring at each other.

"Make that _fifty _Silvers," Parm nervously said.

"We have no more time to waste," Connor sharply said. "We're leaving now."

Unanimously, they all turned around and galloped out of the cave, heading towards the epicenter of the trouble.

* * *

Beau roared at the dragons, causing them to back up a little. But then one plucky dragon darted forwards and shrilly roared his defiance, before earning a whack to the side of his flank from Beau. A stream of gold draconium burst from his bonemark and hit the dragons, sending them flying. But more filled their place and Beau growled out of frustration.

"Where are they all coming from?" Artha exclaimed, fending off some riders. He jabbed one in the solar plexus before whirling around and delivering an axe kick to another.

"Everywhere?" Moordryd offered, using mag moves to keep a crowd a bay. He then rushed out and flicked his wrist. Five dragons and five riders collapsed, a mag-rip draining their energy and being channeled through a mag-stream through to him.

"I don't care; all I'm worried about is getting out alive!" Misstary yelped, sliding on the ground through someone's legs and tripping another over. Her fingers twitched and she pulled them out of the way just before a boot crushed the pavement.

Decepshun hissed and crouched, before leaping into the air and landing, lashing out with her tail. Slinking though a tangle of limbs, she snapped at a dragon and proceeded to nip another on the shoulder before nimbly dancing away.

Whacking several feet with her tail, Opal dived and twisted around, before rapidly nodding her head. The three horns on the back of her head detached and whirled through the air like boomerangs, cutting and bruising anything that they came into contact with. They came back to Opal's head and fastened themselves back.

The six defenders could only cross their fingers and pray that reinforcements came before they dropped out of exhaustion, and a sudden booming roar echoed from down below. Every single dragon and person froze, unsure if it was help for either of them.

The booming sound grew louder, and still everyone did not move. Time seemed to slow down for an age, and the booms only grew louder and closer.

"I bet five drakkals that it's help for them," Moordryd muttered to Artha. He gave a small nod.

* * *

**So! How did I go? **

**Oh, and I'll need OCs for this story. The form is below:**

**Name:  
Gender:  
Dragon:  
Bone Colour:  
Personality:  
Appearance:**

**Thanks for spending about ten minutes of reading my story...**

**-CC and co.**


End file.
